“If you're going to put money on a team being able to score from their own line, it would be the Scarlets”

Tom ShanklinTalking to BBC Radio Wales

"So a little bit disappointing [overall]."

Shanklin highlighted key moment that saw the
Blues
go from being 24-9 ahead two minutes before the break to losing at Salford City Stadium.

He felt eight-cap Wales scrum-half Lloyd Williams, 22, should not have been replaced by Lewis Jones, 19, who was sin-binned three minutes after coming on for his fifth Blues appearance in the 70th minute.

And Shanklin admitted he was among many who were "baffled" by skipper Andries Pretorius' "bad decision" to ask Leigh Halfpenny to kick for goal when awarded a penalty with two minutes left instead of going for a try.

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest [what was going through Phil Davies' mind when he took Lloyd Williams off].

"You're taking off an international player.

"We don't know what the situation was with Lloyd, possibly he could be tired.

"But still you're taking an international player off, bringing on Lewis Jones, who's a youngster, a great prospect.

"But you're losing that experience and that proved costly because then Lewis Jones was sin-binned on 73 minutes and to try and come back then, with 14 men running out of your own half is tough.

Ashley Beck scores against Treviso

"You think about the penalty opportunity, just inside Sale's half, they were four points behind, they decide to go for a kick for goal, which they did.

"But then they had a minute to run the ball all the way from their own 22 with 14 men, all the way up to near around the half-way line to try and get a penalty for Leigh Halfpenny to kick.

"It's a huge ask and strange decisions."

The 2005 British and Irish Lion and double Wales Grand Slam winner says the
Ospreys
can base their challenge around "one of the best packs in the northern hemisphere".

He added: "The Ospreys did, well, very well. And it's nice to see some of the players like Ashley Beck and [Richard] Fussell doing so well.

"Fussell came from the Dragons a couple of seasons ago and has played very, very well… and Dan Biggar also.

"He's put a few very good games together and could be in with a shout of playing 10 for Wales.

"The Ospreys have a very solid pack. They've got a well-established front-row.

"They've got experience everywhere and I think it is Wales' best chance in the Heineken Cup.

"They didn't start off the season great, but they do have a lot of class in their squad.

"They've got a lot of great players and, more importantly, they've got one of the best packs in the northern hemisphere.

"And that makes a huge difference in Heineken Cup rugby, especially when you've got to travel to these French teams and scrummage all day against them."

Morgan Stoddart reacts to being sent off against Clermont Auvergne

The
Scarlets
also impressed Shanklin, who sympathised with Stoddart after the wing was sent off for two yellow-card offences on his second full appearance since returning from a broken leg.

I think for the first time in a while expectations are pretty low for Cardiff and the Ospreys. Losing the players they did in one go is crippling, and this season, and perhaps the next, should be viewed as a rebuilding process. But Llanelli dropped a major opportunity. The Scarlets are the best Welsh region by a way, and Clermont scored 4 (5?) tries down Stoddart's vacant wing. Game ended with red

The WRU pay out a not insignificant sum to the regions but surely the time has come when these payments should be based on the number of Welsh qualified players that are within their squads. This might also help keep some of our better player in Wales rather than the regions becoming a retirement home for overseas "stars"?

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